Following the recent Legion build, today's news covers Nightborne Citizen models, new fishing quests, and the world boss storm dragon 니소그. There's also a teaser of several art and lore pages from World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1.

Nightborne Model Videos

Dozens of NIghtborne Citizen appearances were added in the recent alpha build. We've made videos showing off the new male and female citizens. Hopefully their unique armor will one day be transmoggable.

Fishing Quests

Fishing quests have been added to the Legion Alpha this week. These quests show up on your minimap as a fishing hook and require you to catch a certain number of special fish in return for Artifact Power.

Crackling Jolt
– Nithogg unleashes bolts of crackling lightning every time he loses 20% of his health. Lightning strikes at the location of all players inflicting 731250 to 768750 Nature damage to all targets within 4 yards of the impact.

Tail Lash
– Inflicts 341250 to 358750 Physical damage to players in a cone behind her, knocking them into the air.

Electrical Storm
– Nithogg creates a vortex of electric current that inflicts 125000 Nature damage every 2 sec while players are near the vortex.

Storm Breath
– Nithogg unleashes a blast of electricity from his maw inflicting 100 Nature damage to all enemies in a cone in front of him. in addition, the damage of Storm Breath is increased by 828750 to 871250% for 30 sec.

Lightning Rod
– Nithogg changes the polarity of up to 5 players causing them to attract Static Orbs to their location.

Unstable Explosion
– Upon death, or reaching a player affected by Lightning Rod, the Static Orb bursts inflicting 170625 to 179375 Nature damage to all enemies within 8 yards. In addition, haste and movement speed are reduced by 15% for 8 sec.

트롤s were a warring faction against the Aqir but needed a secret weapon so they decided to resurrect 레이 션 the Thunder King

Unfortunately, this didn't pan out (this time) and the 트롤s fled back to their homeland.

Dark trolls generally kept themselves apart from the inter-faction wars of the trolls in Kalimdor.

They were nocturnal and this turned their skin grey.

They longed for a 'peaceful connection to the natural world' unlike other trolls.

Dark trolls gradually migrated to the center of Kalimdor where they discovered what they thought was a lake, the 영원의 샘.

The energies around the Well transformed the dark trolls into immortal intelligent beings and they began worshiping the moon goddess Elune.

This is the "rise of the night elves"

You can encounter 레이 션 when he IS successfully resurrected in the 천둥의 왕좌. You can learn more about Troll and Night Elf lore through their respective archaeologies and lots of literature around the world of Azeroth.

Post-Sundering, the Well of Eternity is gone

This means a source of power for Night Elves was destroyed

Night Elves then fled to 하이잘 산 after agreeing to prohibit the use of arcane magic

Unfortunately, when they arrived at 하이잘 산, they discovered a second, smaller Well of Eternity as well as 일리단 스톰레이지 next to it. He had reformed the Well out of a vial of the water from the previous well.

This caused strife between the Highbourne and 일리단 스톰레이지 but some agreed with him that the new Well was necessary to fight the Legion. The others thought it could be used by the Legion as a portal.

After learning about this second well, three Dragon Aspects came to 하이잘 산.

생명의 어머니 알렉스트라자 planted a seed and grew a tree over the Well in order to hide it. This was known as the Great World Tree, or, Nordrassil.

이세라 blessed the tree , binding it and all night elf druids to the Emerald Dream (이세라's Realm) allowing them to travel to it at will.

노즈도르무 blessed the tree, so as long as it remained standing, night elves would be immortal.

In Cataclysm, Night Elves slowly started reclaiming some arcane magic which allowed them to train as Mages (and allowed players to play Night Elf Mages)

티란데 위스퍼윈드 then lead the night elves into rebuilding and burgeoning their society.

Creation of the Sentinels, and 말퓨리온 스톰레이지 fostering Druidism among night elves.

The Cosmic ForcesLight and ShadowLight and Shadow are the most fundamental forces in existence. Although contradictory by their very nature. they are bound together on a cosmic scale. One cannot exist without the other.

Pure light and Shadow dwell in a realm outside the borders of reality, but shades of their presence are found in the physical universe. Light manifests as holy magic, while Shadow (also referred to as "the Void") appears as shadow magic.

Light and DeathThe forces of Life and Death hold sway over every living thing in the physical universe. The energies of Life, known commonly as nature magic, promote growth and renewal in all things. Death, in the form of necromantic magic, acts as a counterbalance to Life. It is an unavoidable force that breeds despair in mortal hearts and pushes everything toward a state of entropic decay and eventual oblivion.

Order and DisorderThe forces of Order and Disorder govern the cosmic systems of the physical universe. Order is most commonly perceived in reality as arcane magic. This type of energy is innately volatile, and wielding it requires intense precision and concentration. Conversely, Disorder is manifested as highly destructive fel magic. This brutal and extremely addictive energy is fueled by drawing life from living beings.

The ElementsThe elements of fire, air, earth, and water as the basic building blocks of all matter in the physical universe. Shamanic cultures have long sought to live in harmony with, or assert dominion over, the elements. To do so, they call upon the primordial forces of Spirit and Decay. Those who seek to bring balance to the elements rely on Spirit (sometimes referred to as the "fifth element" by shaman, or "chi" by monks.) This life-giving force interconnects and binds all things in existence as one. Decay is the tool of shaman seeking to subjugate and weaponize the elements themselves.

Primordial AzerothReign of the ElementsFor many long ages, the Pantheon continued searching the cosmos for ancient titans, bringing order to countless worlds in the process. Yet despite their efforts, they did not find any more of their kin. At times. the titans of the Pantheon wondered if their search was in vain, but always they resolved to press on. They know in their hearts that more world-souls existed, and this hope filled them with purpose.

Though the Pantheon did not know it, their intuition was correct. A miraculous new world was taking shape in an isolated corner of the Great Dark. Deep within this world's core, the spirit of a might and noble titan stirred to life.

oNe day, it would be known as Azeroth.

As the nascent titan developed, elemental spirits roamed across the world's surface. Over the ages, these beings became ever more erratic and destructive. The burgeoning world-soul was so vast that it had drawn in and consumed much of the fifth element, Spirit. Without this primordial force to create balance, Azeroth's elemental spirits descended into chaos.

Fire, earth, air, and water--these were the forces that lorded over the infant world. They reveled in unending strife, keeping the face of Azeroth in constant elemental flux. Four elemental lords, powerful beyond mortal comprehension, reigned supreme over innumerable lesser spirits.

Of the elemental lords, none could match the ruthless cunning of Al'Akir the Windlord. He often sent his elusive tempest minions to spy on his enemies and sow distrust among their ranks. Using feints and ruses, he would pit the other elementals against each other, only later to unleash the full fury of his servants on his weakened foes. The winds would h owl and the skies would darken with storms at his approach. As lightning blasted the world's surface, Al'Akir's whirlwind elementals would come screaming from teh heavens, enveloping his foes in monstrous cyclones.

Ragnaros the Firelord despised Al'Akir's cowardly ways. Compulsive and brash, the Firelord embraced brute force to annihilate his enemies. Wherever he went, volcanoes would burst through the world's crust, spewing forth rivers of fire and destruction. Ragnaros longed for nothing more than to boil the seas, reduce the mountains to slag, and choke the skies with ember and ash. The other elemental lords fostered a deep hatred of Ragnaros for his brazen and devastating assaults.

Therazane and Stonemother was the most reclusive elemental ruler. Ever protective of her children, she raised towering mountain ranges to ward off her enemies' assaults. Only after they had worn themselves thin against her impenetrable fortifications would the Stonemother emerge, wrenching open giant chasms in the earth and swallowing entire elemental armies whole. Those who survived would meet oblivion at the fists of Therazane's most powerful servants; walking mountains of unforgiving crystal and stone.

The wise Neptulon the Tidehunter was careful not to fall for Al'Akir's schemes or to commit his minions to fruitless attacks against Therazane's citadels. As the armies of fire, air, and earth clashed across the face of Azeroth, the Tidehunter and his elementals would divide and conquer their rivals in brilliant routs. When his foes fled, Neptulon would crush them beneath tidal waves that dwarfed even Therazane's highest mountain holdings.

The apocalyptic battles between the elemental lords raged for untold millennia. Dominion over Azeroth constantly shifted between the factions, each one striving to remake the world in its own image. Yet for the elementals, victory was secondary to the conflict itself. To them, the world's calamitous state was sublime, and their only desires was to continue their endless cycle of chaos.

Coming of the Old GodsThe elemental lords reveled amid the primordial bedlam until a group of Old Gods plummeted down from the Great Dark. They slammed into Azeroth's surface, embedding themselves in different locations across the world. These Gold Gods towered over the land, mountains of flesh, pockmarked with hundreds of gnashing maws and black, unfeeling eyes. A miasma of despair soon enveloped everything that lay in their writhing shadows.

Like gargantuan, cancerous pustules, the Old Gods spread their corruptive influence across the landscape. The lands around them seethed and withered, turning black and lifeless for leagues upon leagues. All the while, the tendrils of the Old Gods wormed into the world's crust, slithering deeper and deeper toward the defenseless heart of Azeroth.

Organic matter seeped from the Old Gods' blighted forms, giving rise to two distinct races. The first were the cunning and intelligent n'rqai, also know as the "faceless ones." The second were the aqir, insectoids of incredible resilience and strength. As the physical manifestations of the Old Gods' will, both of these races would serve their masters with fanatical loyalty.

Through their new servants,m the Old Gods expanded the borders of their remote dominions. The n'raqi acted as ruthless taskmasters, employing the aqir as laborers to erect towering citadels and temple cities around their masters' colossal bulks. The greats of these bastions was built around Y'Shaarj, the most powerful and wicked of the Old Gods. This burgeoning civilization was located near the center of Azesroth's largest continent. Y'Shaarj's holdings, along with the other Old God domains, would soon spread across the world and become known as the Black Empire.

The rise of the Black Empire did not go unnoticed by the elementals. Seeing the Old Gods as a challenge to their dominion, the elemental lords moved to excise the entities from their world. For the first time in Azeroth's history, the world's native sepirits worked in unison against a common enemy.

The Empire of Zul and the Awakening of the Aqir16,000 years before the Dark PortalFor generation after generation, life bloomed across the ordered world of Azeroth. Nowhere was this more evident than in the dense woodlands around the Well of Eternity. The fount of Azeroth's arcane lifeblood accelerated the cycles of growth and rebirth. Before long, sentient beings evolved from the land's primitive life-forms.

Among the first and most prolific were the trolls, a race of savage hunter-gatherers who flourished in Azeroth's jungles and forests. Though the trolls were of only average intelligence, they possessed incredible agility and strength. Their unique physiology also allowed them to recover from physical injuries at an astonishing rate, and they could even regenerate lost limbs over time.

The early trolls developed a wide array of superstitious customs. Some practiced cannibalism and devoted themselves to warfare. A rare few sought knowledge through mystic practices and meditation. Still others honed their ties to a dark and powerful form of magic known as voodoo. Yet no matter their individual customs, what all trolls shared was a common religion that revolved around Kalimdor's elusive Wild Gods. The trolls called these powerful beings "loa,:" and they worshipped them as deities.

Due to their reverence for the Wild Gods, the trolls gathered near a series of peaks and plateaus in souther Kalimdor. This was home to many of their honored loa. The trolls gave the holy mountain range the name Zandalar, and soon they built small encampments upon its slopes.

The most powerful group of trolls was called the Zandalar tribe. Its members claimed nearly all of Zandalar's tallest plateaus, believing them to be scared ground. Atop the highest peaks they constructed a small cluster of cured shrines. In time, these grew into a bustling temple city known as Zuldazar.

Zandalari Invasion11,900 years before the Dark PortalThe Zandalari had always maintained a distant relationship with the mogu following Lei Shen's death. Though the trolls found the mogu's knowledge of arcane magic useful, they loathed the constant intra-clan strife and tense political maneuvering. When it became clear that no mogu clan would establish total dominance, the Zandalari refrained from pledging their loyalties to any one faction in particular.

But they never forgot the promise Lei Shen had made to them: a large plot of land near the Vale of Eternal Blossoms would forever belong to the trolls. When at long last the mogu empire crumbled, the Zandalari saw an opportunity to take what they believed was rightfully theirs. They did not move immediately. Internal debate raged in the Zandalari capital of Zuldazar about whether the territory should be taken by diplomacy or force.

In the end, it was a descendant of the great high priest Zulathra who made the strongest case. His name was Mengazi, and he knew that the pandaren would be unlikely to honor the Zandalari's agreement with the mogu. The former slaves had also overthrown their masters, and as such,. they could be strong enough to mount a fierce resistance against the trolls if given time to prepare. To succeed in claiming their land, the trolls would need to strike without warning and with enough force to shatter the pandaren's will.

To this end, the trolls marched south, intent on seizing a fertile region north of Kun-Lai Summit. The Zandalari stormed the main settlement in the area--a tranquil pandaren farming village. Imbued with mystic powers and riding atop colossal saurian war mounts, the trolls slaughtered almost every single resident of the settlement. The Zandalari ranks then pushed into the Jade Forest, a dense jungle that had become the heart of the newly established pandaren empire.

When word of the invasion reached other pandaren settlement,s panic seized them. No standing army existed to thwart the trolls. In the decades since the slave revolution, few had seen the need to carry on the militaristic ways of the mogu, preferring instead to let all residents live in peace, without an overarching authority. The only real fighting force was an order of monks, charged by the pandaren emperor to patrol toe Serpent's Spine and stand against the periodic mantid swarm.

Though the monks raced from the Serpent's Spine to defend their lands against the trolls, they found themselves hopelessly outnumbered and outmaneuvered. The trolls were employing a form of warfare none had ever seen, descending into battle on the backs of reptilian pterrorwings and giant bats. The pandaren had no means to counter these ferocious aerial attacks.

Ultimately, salvation came from a young pandaren named Jiang. When she was put a child, she had found a cloud serpent hatchling, alone and badly injured after a terrible storm and destroyed his nest. At the time, the pandaren regarded the flying cloud serpents as untamable and violent beasts, but Jiang nursed him back to health and befriended him. Those in her village often saw them flying the skies together.

As the monks fought a losing battle atop the cliffs of the Jade Forest, Jiang and her serpentine companion, Lo, swooped down from the clouds. Lo's fury and fire broke the Zandalari ranks, forcing them to retreat. News of the victory spread throughout the empire, and others followed in Jian's footsteps. They tamed the powerful cloud serpents, and soon a small army arose to fly into battle at Jiang's side. These brave pandaren became known as the Order of the Cloud Serpent.

The tide of the war had turned. The trolls knew there was little they could do to win by convention means, so Mengazi turned to a final tactic resurrecting the Thunder King, Lei Shen.

Lei Shen had granted the Zandalari the secret to his revival, not trusting any of his mogu underlings to do it for him if he were ever killed. The trolls knew the Thunder King would have the power to purge the troublesome serpent riders and destroy any army on the ground. A pitched battle erupted near the Tomb of Conquerors, where Lei Shen's corpse was enshrined. Jiang sacrificed herself in a final, desperate attack, killing Mengazi. The other Zandalari soon broke ranks and fled back to their homeland in shame. Through her heroic act, Jiang had prevented the trolls from resurrecting the terrible Thunder King.

There was great celebration throughout the empire, but also mourning over the lives lost, especially Jiang's For decades after the conflict, Lo was seen circling the skies above the Jade Forest, as though searching for his old friend and rider. The other serpent riders honored Jiang's memory boy codifying her teachings. Within the Order of the Cloud Serpent, her tradition of training and befriending the majestic creatures would survive for millennia to come.

The Well of Eternity and the Rise of the Night Elves15,000-10,000 years before the Dark Portal

Before their war with the aqir, the troll tribes claimed large swarths of Kalimdor. Many of these groups, such as the Gurubashi and the Amani, clashed with each other over hunting grounds and territory. Yet one tribe was unconcerned with these battles for land and power. Known as dark trolls, they lived in a network of deep caverns that stretched beneath Mount Hyjal. They abhorred daylight, only emerging from their underground burrows at night. The dark trolls' nocturnal habits changed them over time, turning their blue-hued skin into shades of gray.

The dark trolls cherished their independence from greater troll society, and they largely ignored the activities of other tribes. Unlike their Gurubashi and Amani cousins, they longed for a peaceful connection to the natural world. Dark troll mystics often sought ways to commune with the land and live in harmony with it. Many of these trolls gradually migrated toward the center of Kalimdor. They explored the labyrinthine groves at the heart of the continent, crossing paths with the elusive faerie dragons, chimaeras, and dryads. IN time, the dark trolls also discovered an enormous lake of scintillating energies, a lake they would later know as the Well of Eternity.

Mesmerized by their discovery, the dark trolls settled along the Well of Eternity's shores. Over generations, the energies radiating from the lake suffused the trolls' flesh and bones, elevating their forms to match their graceful spirits. They transformed into highly intelligent and virtually immortal beings. These former trolls gradually abandoned their ancient heritage and traditions. The tribe's mystics began worshipping the moon goddess, Elune, who they believed was bound to the Well of Eternity itself. They claimed that the deity slumbered within the fount's depths during daylight hours.

The former trolls also discovered the name "Kalimdor" and other titan-forged words from communing with Elune and investigating strange artifact scattered around the Well's periphery.

Chapter IVA New WorldMount Hyjal and the World Tree10,000 Years Before the Dark Portal

The Sundering had left the world broken. The Well of Eternity was gone, and so, too, was the once-coveted source of the night elves' arcane power. Desperate for refuge, the surviving night elves fled northwest to Mount Hyjal, one of the few places on Azeroth untouched by the destruction.

En route to Hyjal, Malfurion Stormrage and the other night elves concluded that arcane magic was not safe. They agreed to prohibit its use to avoid another catastrophe like the War of the Ancients. Yet as they reached the summit of Hyjal, they were horrified to discover a second, smaller Well of Eternity. Equally shocking was the figure whom the night elves found standing at the fount's shores: Illidan.

Before the Sundering, Illidan had filled several vials with enchanted liquid from the original Well of Eternity. He had poured some of them into the lake atop Hyjal, transforming the idyllic waters into another fount of arcane power.

Violence erupted when a group of night elves confronted Illidan, and his brother Malfurion was forced to restrain him. Yet Illidan insisted that a new Well of Eternity was necessary. With it, the night elves would have the arcane power they needed to fight off the Burning Legion when--not if, but when--it returned.

Though some of the surviving Highborne agreed with Illidan, the majority of the night elves did not. They chastised him for his brash and selfish act, claiming that a new Well of Eternity could be used as a gateway for the Legion. Even then, Illidan remained unapologetic.

Seeing no other recourse, the night elves decided to deal with Illidan once and for all. Ultimately, the decision was made to imprison the sorcerer. Malfurion himself would see to enacting this punishment. With the help of Cenarius, he chained Illidan deep within a barrow prison. Malfurion then charged the priestess Maiev Shadowsong to stand guard over the wayward sorcerer. She would later take on the mantle of Warden, founding an order of elite and secretive night elf jailers.

Upon learning of the second Well, three of the great Dragon Aspects converged on Hyjal. Like the night elves, they knew that so long as the fount of power existed, the Legion would have a means to invade Azeroth once again. Thus the Aspect of Life, Alexstrasza, used an enchanted seed to sprout a mighty tree over the Well of Eternity. The tree's boughs soon towered over the lake, scraping the belly of the heavens. Its roots grew deep into the earth, spreading life-giving energies across the war-torn world. Thereafter, the great tree would act as a seal over the new Well of Eternity, preventing the Legion or anyone else from abusing its powers.

Malfurion and the other night elves looked upon this colossal World Tree and named it Nordrassil, meaning "Crown of the Heavens." They vowed to keep it safe and protect the Well of Eternity and at any cost.

To honor this decision, the Dragon Aspects agreed to bless the night elves so that they could perform their guardianship successfully. Alexstrasza infused Nordrassil with renewed strength and vitality, which would also extend to the night elves.

The Aspect of Dreams, Ysera, then blessed the tree, binding it and all night elf druids to the Emerald Dream. Prior to this, Malfurion and his followers had wandered Ysera's realm, but doing so required difficult meditation. The new enchantment placed on Nordrassil would allow these druids to journey into the Dream whenever they so wished.

Lastly, Nozdormu, the Aspect of Time, wove his energies through the boughs and roots of Nordrassil, assuring that as long as the colossal tree stood, the night elves would possess immortality.

With that, the Aspects ventured back to their hidden lairs. Due to their enchantments, the second Well of Eternity would no longer act as a beacon to demons, nor could the Legion easily use it as a gateway into Azeroth. It would become a symbol of the night elves' connection to the natural world, a secret monument that empowered their race with immunity to sickness, disease, and aging.

The Sentinels9,400 Years before the Dark PortalAs the centuries passed, the burgeoning night elf society expanded into the dense forests of Ashenvale, south of Mount Hyjal. Tyrande Whisperwind, high priestess of the Sisterhood of Elune, led the night elves in rebuilding their society. Her order was uniquely positioned to fill the power vacuum among the night elves, for it had emerged from the War of the Ancients relatively unscathed.

Tyrande deftly positioned the Sisterhood as the leaders of both the night elf government and the military. She also forged a new fighting force: the Sentinels. Composed of devout and highly trained warrior women, this order dedicated itself to protecting the emergent night elf society. The Sentinels set out to patrol their misty forest home, befriending the native creatures of the land and standing guard against any threat.

Meanwhile, Malfurion continued fostering a culture of druidism among his people. Having abandoned arcane magic, many former sorcerers embraced Malfurion's teachings and devoted themselves to living in harmony with nature. These early druids lacked the stringent militaristic codes and hierarchy of the Sentinels. Malfurion's followers were free to explore the depths of the Emerald Dream at will.

댓글

pikagod의 댓글

The hardcover of that book might be the first physical wow item I buy....That looks fantastic.

Atratzu의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T14:35:59-06:00

I like the skin for Nithogg, very cool screenshot.

guardiantitan의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T14:48:01-06:00

As nice as the armor on the new Nightbourne is, chances of players seeing similar armor is unlikely unless Blizzard treats it like the capes. The WoD capes use alpha channels which lets them cut things out with an alpha map which gives them many more design options instead of static shapes. For those familiar with the Sims franchise, alpha channels are also heavily used for many clothing models there. Many of the new Nightborne appear to use alpha channels. The females with the full skirt have the front cut out via alpha maps for those with coat tails. The old models aren't setup to use alpha channels. If they equip a newer cape, it's just a rectangle because the game doesn't know how to read the alpha channels on the old model to cut them out. Worgen and goblins certainly suffer from this. Blizzard would have to update the old models to use alpha channels or else put in some kind of texture in the area that would be otherwise cut out so those using old models don't look terrible. In many cases, having a skirt that actually shows the lower leg and feet would be unlikely for older models. Chances are they'd just use the regular robe bottom model available already.

There's also the issue that the Nightbourne armor is 3D and not painted on the body. Blizzard might not want to take the time to make the 3D armor models work on the older models. It'd also cause more strain for older computers. A few more polygons might not seem like much, but they add up and quickly, especially in an MMO. The old models wouldn't look as snazzy due to being forced to look painted on rather than 3D.

Put another way, as long as Blizzard supports the old models, we're not likely to see armor like the Nightbourne. So you can blame those still using the old models for us still getting painted on armor. Really wish Blizzard would stop supporting them. Honestly, if you're using the old models, you're part of the problem. You should be posting images and making suggestions on how Blizzard can fix the new ones to make them appeal more to you even if they have to add a new face, skin, etc. By just using the old models, you're evading the issue and not helping to fix it. Blizzard can certainly add in more facial options, etc.

In regards to the art, very pretty. Wish I was that good but my stuff tends to look like crap. I've been complemented on some of the stuff I've done and done the odd commissioned piece, but my stuff doesn't compare to anything professionals do.

galaxia17의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T14:54:34-06:00

I would love to see those paintings offered as prints. I want the Dragon Aspects Blessing the World Tree on my wall!

FuzzyFuzz9의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T15:06:14-06:00

If we ever get sub-races Night Elves might get the Nightborne .

mathiaslindberg의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T15:10:38-06:00

It upsets me that Suramar City NPCs (I assume) have visually and technically better armor than players, who wield legendary artifacts from major lore characters. Why can't we have a proper robe, when these NPCs have custom armor just for them. Why can't Blizzard spend the time to make armor work properly on all races? I can live with clipping, but I can't live with half a race being broken. Hiding shoulders helps temporarily, but they need to start being serious about armor.

mathiaslindberg의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T15:13:43-06:00

As nice as the armor on the new Nightbourne is, chances of players seeing similar armor is unlikely unless Blizzard treats it like the capes. The WoD capes use alpha channels which lets them cut things out with an alpha map which gives them many more design options instead of static shapes. For those familiar with the Sims franchise, alpha channels are also heavily used for many clothing models there. Many of the new Nightborne appear to use alpha channels. The females with the full skirt have the front cut out via alpha maps for those with coat tails. The old models aren't setup to use alpha channels. If they equip a newer cape, it's just a rectangle because the game doesn't know how to read the alpha channels on the old model to cut them out. Worgen and goblins certainly suffer from this. Blizzard would have to update the old models to use alpha channels or else put in some kind of texture in the area that would be otherwise cut out so those using old models don't look terrible. In many cases, having a skirt that actually shows the lower leg and feet would be unlikely for older models. Chances are they'd just use the regular robe bottom model available already.

There's also the issue that the Nightbourne armor is 3D and not painted on the body. Blizzard might not want to take the time to make the 3D armor models work on the older models. It'd also cause more strain for older computers. A few more polygons might not seem like much, but they add up and quickly, especially in an MMO. The old models wouldn't look as snazzy due to being forced to look painted on rather than 3D.

Put another way, as long as Blizzard supports the old models, we're not likely to see armor like the Nightbourne. So you can blame those still using the old models for us still getting painted on armor. Really wish Blizzard would stop supporting them. Honestly, if you're using the old models, you're part of the problem. You should be posting images and making suggestions on how Blizzard can fix the new ones to make them appeal more to you even if they have to add a new face, skin, etc. By just using the old models, you're evading the issue and not helping to fix it. Blizzard can certainly add in more facial options, etc.

In regards to the art, very pretty. Wish I was that good but my stuff tends to look like crap. I've been complemented on some of the stuff I've done and done the odd commissioned piece, but my stuff doesn't compare to anything professionals do.

I don't think it's far-fetched that support for old models will go away in the coming years. If the system requirements keep going up, using the old models won't make a difference.

stym의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T15:48:36-06:00

I think they inverted the numbers in Storm Breath's tooltip. I feel it should read 828750 to 871250 damage, and increase the damage by 100% for 30 seconds.But yeah, alpha.

Arraya의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T17:13:03-06:00

OMG OMG Ancient Kalimdor, yaaaaas!

LeLeLeK의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T17:40:17-06:00

I love WoW lore and this book is exactly what i needed. I'm soooo happy that some things will be clarified and we'll get to know a lot of new things. Also the art is BEAUTIFUL!

unoshi의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T19:10:18-06:00

OMG, must....have.....

Anatheme의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T19:18:29-06:00

This expansion would be a great time to reintroduce Dark Trolls. I've had a fascination with them since WC3.

Mastrcapn의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T19:44:57-06:00

Nithogg, huh?

Blizzard paying homage to FFXIV Heavensward? Weird.

TaliaKirana의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T20:03:43-06:00

Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a reference to Norse mythology. It's a variation on the name for the beast that gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil. (I was kind of into reading all sorts of mythology as a kid.)

hedujay의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T20:04:22-06:00

As a lore enthusiast I'm super hyped about the book. I can't wait for it to be released. It looks amazing!

dednsyde의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T20:43:23-06:00

YES! World dragon bosses again!

Joshmaul의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T23:18:55-06:00

Interesting to see what Karazhan looked like before it got all messed up. Funny thing is, it LOOKS like it's in the midst of not just a village, like it is now (albeit in ruins), but a great city. Given the rest of the stuff shown from this new book, it seems to indicate (to me anyway) that Karazhan is at least ten thousand years old, give or take a century or so...which makes one wonder.

In "The Last Guardian", it's speculated (kinda-sorta) that Karazhan was at the place it was now with the intention of being Medivh's sanctum...but who would have been there before him? The other Guardians, up to Medivh himself according to the little lore blurb on the Chamber of the Guardian, seemed to have taken up residence in Dalaran for its existence (which, if my memory serves, dates back at least three thousand or so years, give or take - to the order of wizards trained by the elves to serve King Thoradin in the Troll Wars), and presumably someplace else before that. So who lived in Karazhan before Medivh moved in?

MrVolare의 댓글

on 2016-02-19T23:56:18-06:00

I will have this book!

Taraezor의 댓글

on 2016-02-20T04:25:30-06:00

Massively hyped over the book.

Chris Metzen near the start of the trailer makes the case that THIS book series is Blizzard's attempt to tighten up, codify, clarify all aspects of lore. THIS to be the definitive source.

Loving the gorgeous art.

That diagram with "reality" in the middle and all the known "forces" surrounding it was awesome.

Titans / Wild Gods / Old Gods / The Naaru / The Burning Legion / Undead all on the same level.

Think about that. We have had plenty of The Burning Legion. We've had a nice amount of Old Gods and we have seen the influence of (but not actually adventured with) the Titans via Ulduar/Uldaman/Uldum.

Time to explore The Naaru more fully? Nah. A force for good = boring.

What about that Undead, sourced from Necromantic energies which represent Death?

With a proper introduction, Blizzard could pull that off. Heck the old Warcraft games had The Burning Legion and in WoW we had TBC etc. Let's build up to a "Necromantic" expansion. If they could sneak it past censors in China of course.

Wild Gods. Presently their influence has been more subtle in WoW but when I think about it, yeah nicely done so far.

The WORLD-SOUL of Azeroth a Titan. Dwelling deep within. Absorbed all of the Spirit element. More please!

The map titled "Aftermath of the Aqir and Troll War".

Oh man! We MUST have an expansion set at this time.

Wait. No.

If ever there was a chance to reboot Warcraft then this is it.

Warcraft Origins. The new MMORPG. Set in Ancient Kalimdor. Entirely new game engine.

We ALL start as Trolls - but as SUB-RACES of trolls.

No publishing company could ever pull off a MMORPG with EVERYONE playing as the one race.

Except Blizzard.

They gotta do this!

Um, that picture of Karazhan. Is from way before Medivh's time. Even though, it still looks creepy.

Wait. That is a RAVEN flying about. Medivh = raven is the usual thing but this is way before Medivh had been born... That's a nice touch to whet the appetite of Warcraft fans.

Arkarian555의 댓글

on 2016-02-20T04:41:25-06:00

In Norse myths, Niðhöggr was a giant dragon who gnawed upon the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Nice seeing him here.